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Not Blind
Chapter 1 There are three things that everyone should know about me. First, my name is Dragon. Second, I live with housefolk, the tall creatures that wear colored pelts, by a forest where wild cats are rumored to roam. And third, I'm not blind. Unless seeing clearly for only a mouse-length in front of you is blind, then I'm not blind and I hate it when the housefolk call me that. I dream of becoming the perfect mouse-catcher, better than any trap or at least my brother, Tabby, and my sister, Birdy, but my vision makes it hard to see those little mice and then I can't catch them. I wonder if I could escape to the wild forest, but then I would have as much chance of surviving as snow in the summer. So I was stuck here, eating those brown pellets that don't taste as good as the mice that Birdy and Tabby eat, until one fateful day. -:- "Dragon!" Birdy's call woke me up from my dreamless sleep. "There's fire!" I have never experienced fire, except for the times the housefolk light flame-sticks when they have other housefolk over for food. And even then, the fire is only in a small space, with no chance of burning up a house. So, as you might imagine, it was pretty scary to have our home on fire. "We need to escape somewhere!" I yowled. I started running crazily around, looking for some way to escape the burning flames. "Instead of pointing out the obvious, why don't you point out a way to get out of this place before we burn up!" Tabby said scathingly. I could tell he was as scared as I was. "Through there!" Birdy gestured with her tail to a hole made by the flames. "We'll be safely outside!" Even though it was a big drop, we leaped through the hole, one at a time. Birdy jumped last, panting heavily. "I'm glad that's over," she sighed. We never saw our housefolk again. Chapter 2 "What a nice place to be," Tabby growled sarcastically. "Out in the forest with killer cats and no housefolk to take care of us." "They might be friendly," Birdy suggested. "How about I go look for them?" "And get yourself killed? No way!" Tabby growled. "Besides, if it's as good as you think, you might just abandon us and enjoy it all to yourself." Birdy sighed. "Ok, you can come. And Dragon." -:- The forest wasn't just amazing. It was more than amazing. It was all of the amazing in the world. The sights, the sounds, and the smells that I couldn't even begin to describe, the feel of dry leaves crackling underneath my feet, and I could almost taste the air. This won't be so bad to live in I thought. "I think I smell other cats," Tabby meowed. "They smell wild, not unlike the forest itself." I sniffed a bit. I could smell them as well, and they seemed to be close by. "Keep alert," I warned. "They may not like us." "C'mon, there has to be some good in them," Birdy protested. "They have to be called 'wild' in the stories for something," I explained. Birdy looked visibly nervous. We went on, looking for any signs of other cats, or at least anything that could help us. Well, at least my siblings looked. I listened or smelled. "Mouse!" Tabby hissed. "I'm going to catch it!" He stalked the mouse like the expert he was, but he wasn't expecting the other cat stalking the mouse—from the other side. They crashed into each other with a sound like a branch falling. "Rouges!" the cat snarled. "Get out of ThistleClan territory!" More cats leaped out of the bushes and bracken and surrounded us. There was nowhere to run. We had to fight or die! Chapter 3 "Badgerwhisker, what are you doing?" another cat asked. "They're lost kittypets. They're not going to hurt us." That stung more than any attack they could have dreamed up. "They're hunting for fun, not for food. We need the mouse more," Badgerwhisker growled. "Our house burnt down. We need food, and we thought this would be the best option," I explained. "How can I believe you?" Badgerwhisker threatened. "Just look at our house." Tabby glanced over at the smoldering ruins of the house we grew up in. "Oh...." The striped tom seemed lost for words. "So, what should we do?" one of the cats asked. "They're kittypets--they can't hurt a tick!" "That one looked like it could have caught the mouse if Badgerwhisker didn't try to catch it at the same time." "Don't forget that they were hunting like true cats." "They still have kittypet blood." "Windstrike is a former kittypet, and look at the position he has now!" "Best to keep them friendly. We don't know how good they fight." "So it's agreed?" Badgerwhisker asked. "We let the kittypets stay until they find a new home?" There was no opposition, so I assumed they did agree. "Now, about your collars. They don't help your reputation," Badgerwhisker growled. "I'll try biting through it." He grabbed onto Tabby's collar and bit it, tearing it apart. He did the same to Birdy and I. "Just one more thing: Hawkstar won't really like any kittypets in his Clan. You're going to have to stay out in this part," Badgerwhisker explained. He stared into our eyes, as if he was threatening us. "Understood?" We nodded, somewhat intimidated. "Good. We can teach you some fighting tricks, but stay near your destroyed den if anyone else comes. I'll yell, 'I ate the purple quail!' and that will be your signal to come out." Chapter 4 "So, we're officially part-time wildcats now!" Tabby said. "I can't wait to tell Catherine! I'm sure she'll be proud." "If you can get her to stop attacking you on sight, then yes, she'll be proud," Birdy sighed. "Can't you go hunt?" "Well, of course I can!" Tabby ran off deeper into the woods. Birdy purred. "That should get him out of our fur for a bit, right?" "At least he's doing something productive and not bragging about his newfound rights as a wildcat," I agreed. I heard crashing coming from the bushes. "Lie low," I hissed to Birdy. "I can't tell who that is." "I ATE THE PURPLE QUAIL!" Startled, I jumped back, and Birdy yowled in fright. A red tabby she-cat came running out of the bushes and stopped right in front of us. "I scared you, didn't I?" she purred. "I'm just here to check in on you. Where's the third cat?" "Who are you first?" Birdy accused. "I'm not telling any ordinary cat, even if you did use the phrase." "I'm Emberpaw," she said. "Now can you tell me? I'm Badgerstrike's apprentice. He told me to go since I was on patrol in this area." "I'll accept that story. Tabby's out hunting. I don't know where he went, but he left in the direction that you came." "Great StarClan!" Emberpaw gasped. "He'll meet up with the patrol, and we're only appreciative of visitors because it gives us a chance to practice our battle skills!" "Well, what are you standing around for then?" Birdy yowled. "Distract them! Or find Tabby! Or do something to prevent this!" "Sure? I could try? I'm just an apprentice, nobody will listen to me, but I could find your 'Tabby' or whatever you call him. It seems diminutive to me, but I don't know your naming customs." "The naming customs aren't related to anything!" I said, panicked. "Just go find him!" "Whatever you say." Emberpaw looked back at us one last time before running back into the bushes. ___ I couldn't sleep that night. Tabby and Emberpaw still hadn't returned, and I couldn't bear the thought that any of them were lost or worse. Tabby could have been captured by the resident clan, or killed, or lost somewhere with only his weak hunting skills to save him. If Tabby was captured or killed, Emberpaw could have been punished if it was revealed that she helped him. "Go to sleep," Birdy mumbled. "You've been talking all night about what could have happened to Emberpaw and Tabby. They're probably fine, and most likely getting more sleep than I am." That didn't help at all, but I tried to remain quiet for the duration of the night. By the time that I fell asleep, it seemed like only seconds before morning came.